The field is full for the the Democratic primary for Cuyahoga County Council District 9 with candidates from a variety of backgrounds lining up at the gate.

To see which one the editorial board has endorsed, and to listen to an audiotape of the group endorsement interview with all six candidates, go here. The district represents Bedford, Bedford Heights, Shaker Heights, Warrensville Heights, Highland Hills, North Randall, Orange, Woodmere, Pepper Pike and parts of Cleveland wards 1 and 4. Some of the takeaways from endorsement process:

1. All six candidates are impressive in different ways. One of them, Leah Lewis, described it as "an embarrassment of riches."

2. Minister and Highland Hills Councilwoman Leah Lewis has an extensive education, having earned a law degree from Howard University and a divinity degree from Yale.

3. Political consultant Andre P. White has extensive community involvement, including as a member of the advisory board of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and as a trustee of the Lee-Harvard Community Association.

4. Warrensville Heights Councilwoman Shontel M. Brown, 38, has her own company, Diversified Digital Solutions, and previously was director of sales for Hotcards.com.

5. Former Shaker Heights Vice Mayor Lynn Ruffner said she would like the county to start offering electronic and printed newsletters to keep the public better informed of council's activities.

6. Bedford Heights Councilman Lloyd A. Anderson said he would exercise the same fiscal discipline on council that he has as a councilman in Bedford Heights, which has a $1 million contingency fund.

7. Bedford Councilman Donald Saunders filed for bankruptcy in 2010. He said he ran into trouble after his wife died in 2005, leaving him with two sons to raise and not as much income, and that his problems were worsened by fraudulent charges on credit cards. "I know what it's like to get knocked down a few pegs, pick yourself up and move forward," he told Northeast Ohio Media Group reporter Andrew J. Tobias.

8. White is an Army veteran and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

9. After failing to get re-elected to Shaker Heights city council last year, Ruffner determined she had underestimated her competition. She has hired R Strategy Group this time to help with her campaign.

10. Anderson served as Bedford Heights' parks commissioner before being elected to city council in 2012.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.